- When Steven Spielberg and George Lucas set out to make Raiders of the Lost Ark they wanted to make a fun, action-adventure, B-movie like the ones they grew up with. But they got a lot more than they bargained for. Through a range of really simple filmmaking technique executed frequently and excellently, Raiders of the Lost Ark became an instant classic, birthing the Indiana Jones franchise, and remaining in the public imagination for over 40 years.